Black Caps v Sri Lanka: Opener Chad Bowes set make New Zealand debut against Sri Lanka

Chad Bowes has impressed with Canterbury on the domestic scene. Photo / photosport.nz

A career following a similar path to Devon Conway will tomorrow culminate in Chad Bowes taking his compatriot’s spot atop the Black Caps’ batting order.

Bowes will be one of at least two ODI debutants when New Zealand face Sri Lanka at Eden Park to begin a three-match series, with all-rounder Rachin Ravindra also earning inclusion.

While Ravindra has some familiarity for Kiwi fans, having played three tests and six T20Is in the last two years, this will be Bowes’ his first experience wearing the black cap.

The 30-year-old already has experience opposing those colours. At the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, he captained South Africa to a thumping third-place playoff victory over a New Zealand side including new teammates Will Young and Ish Sodhi, having starred on a schoolboy scene where he regularly encountered Conway.

Bowes then moved to New Zealand in 2015 – two years before Conway – and settled in Christchurch with the assistance of Stephen Fleming. After playing his way into the Black Caps frame through strong recent form for Canterbury, Bowes will open the batting tomorrow with Conway on IPL duty at Fleming’s Chennai Super Kings.

New Zealand will miss eight frontline players at points in this series, with Conway joined in India by Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell and, after the first match, Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips and Lockie Ferguson.

Injury has ruled out Ferguson from his only series involvement, leaving Auckland quick Ben Lister possibly in line to make an ODI debut, with Matt Henry and Blair Tickner coming off test commitments.

Captain Tom Latham said decisions around the pace group would be made tomorrow but confirmed Bowes and Ravindra – batting at No 7 in the spinning all-rounder role of Santner or Bracewell – would earn their first caps.

“Those guys have both earned their spots through their performances over the last couple of seasons in the white-ball arena in domestic cricket,” Latham said. “It’s exciting we’ve got some new faces among the group – some guys who have played a little bit and some guys who haven’t played at all.

“Trying to build experience among the wider squad is really important and hopefully that holds us in good stead, not just throughout the rest of the year but the next few years.”

The series opener will begin a six-week period in which the Black Caps play 16 limited-overs matches, visiting Pakistan after Sri Lanka leave these shores. With the whites packed away and the ODI World Cup in India assuming central focus, players like Bowes have a timely opportunity to impress.

The top-order batsman is Canterbury’s leading scorer this season with 373 list A runs at 46.63, scoring a century to help his side beat Otago in last month’s Ford Trophy preliminary final. Ravindra’s last international action came in a test against Bangladesh at the start of 2022, while Lister and fellow seam option Henry Shipley earned limited-overs chances in Pakistan and India at the start of the summer.

“In terms of the bowlers, we’ll have to wait and see how they pull up tomorrow,” Latham said. “A couple of guys have had big workloads over the last few weeks, so we’ll finalise the XI tomorrow.

“[The new players] have got the full backing of the squad to come in and do the job in conditions they’re familiar with, playing domestic cricket here for a long period of time.

“We’re excited for them to have an opportunity at some point over the next few weeks here and heading into the series over in Pakistan as well. It’s an exciting six-week block for this group.”